KILMARNOCK’S Gary Harkins says referees are in danger of turning football into a boring, non-contact sport.

The Ayrshire side bundled their way through to the Scottish Cup fifth round against 10-man Queens who had Stephen McKenna sent off inside 90 seconds as Kenny Shiels’ men battled to victory.

Referee Mike Tumilty showed a red card to the Palmerston midfield man for what was a late, high but not particularly dangerous or nasty tackle on Borja Perez.

Indeed TV pictures showed the Queens player was unlucky to walk and a yellow card would have been enough punishment.

Midfielder Harkins says tackling is part and parcel of the game and if officials outlaw it that will make life difficult on the pitch for creative types like himself.

Harkins also insisted he is no diver after Tumilty booked him for going down in the penalty area despite the fact he didn’t appeal for a spot-kick.

And Harkins wasn’t even sure if McKenna deserved to be sent off. He said: “I saw the tackle and thought it was high.

“I couldn’t tell if it was a red card or not but the referee thought so and that is all that matters. Players are being sent off for next to nothing now and there are things that are being let go.

“It is hard for referees to make the right decision all the time and there is human error too.

“But there are tackles now that you would have got away with a few years ago and would not have been pulled up for.

“Now you feel as if you are getting booked and getting red cards for wee niggles and touches.

“There are a lot of times when players go to ground but some good tackles go in even when players go to ground.

“If players aren’t going to tackle and just jockey you then it makes it harder for midfielders like me to take them out of the game.

“Tackling is part of the game and we don’t want football to end where there is no contact.”

“I was booked but I am certainly not a diver and didn’t claim a penalty.

“Maybe I was booked because of their player’s reaction. It is a hard one for the referee if that is the way people are going to react.

Goals by Cillian Sheridan and Perez were enough to see Killie through but when Nicky Clark – son of former Hearts and Rangers star Sandy – netted for Queens with a diving header with 13 minutes to go they were given a squeak.

Having disposed of Rangers in the Ramsdens Cup earlier this season, Queens were still unbeaten on league business and only SPL outfit Dundee United had claimed their scalp in the League Cup.

Harkins though insists the Killie players were mindful they had lost to Stenhousemuir at the first hurdle in the defence of their League Cup and were not about to make the same mistake twice.

However, credit has to go to Queens who were terrific despite playing with 10 men for so long. In the end Killie were delighted to hear the final whistle. Harkins said: “Queens are a really good side. They were very well organised but we were determined to win after losing to Stenhousemuir in the League Cup.”

Saturday was also the day the Advent calendars were opened to signal the start of December.

However, Harkins and team-mate Michael Nelson took the festive spirit too far by dying their Movember moustaches blue and white.

It was all for a good cause was the official line trotted out by the Killie ace. He said: “One of the club’s fan told myself and Michael if we dyed our moustaches blue and white he would donate a good bit of money. So we went for it and that got us up to about £1700.

“I have been taking pelters in the dressing room so it is coming off now.”